Broken Watches and Rabbit Holes - A Collection of One-Shots
by Emiliya Wolfe
Summary: 1- Ron's pick-up lines 2- Scorpius finds a flute 3- Rabastan Lestrange 4- Ted shows Andromeda Muggle London 5- Rowena brings Salazar back to Hogwarts 6- Albus has to make a choice: his family, or Gellert? 7- Ron's Eat Slugs spell is a success 8- Ted/Andromeda follow up 9- Peter meets James in the afterlife 10- Dying thoughts of Lavender Brown 11- Scorpius teaches Albus to dress
1. Ron's Failed Attempt at Charming Witches

Quidditch Challenge Pick-up lines.

Can we do Astronomy together? We'll get a good grade because you're already a star.

Can you already cast Stupefy non-verbally? Because you're a real stunner.

Nice Silencio. Of course, I knew you were a charmer.

Teammate's NOTP: BlueRubyBeat (Captain) - Ron/Hermione

Word count: 415.

* * *

Ron glanced over to Hermione as Professor Sinistra droned on about their O.W.L.s. She looked as pretty as ever, with her curly brown locks and shining amber eyes. How had he not noticed it from the start?

Suddenly the Astronomy teacher's words caught his attention. 'I expect you to work in pairs for the rest of term, so choose wisely.'

Hastily, he took "Twelve Fail Safe Ways to Charm Witches" out of his bag – enchanted to look like a simple text book – and flicked it to an ear-marked page, before rushing over to Hermione before Harry could bag her as a partner.

'Hey Hermione, want to pair up? I bet we'll get at least an E.'

'And why is that, exactly?' Hermione asked, a smile playing at her features.

'Because you're already a star.'

'Honestly Ronald,' Hermione groaned, rolling her eyes and turning to ask Harry to be her partner.

 _Hmm,_ Ron thought, frowning. _That didn't go as expected._

* * *

At the D.A. meeting the following Friday, Ron arrived with his best clothes, hair perfectly styled the way he thought Hermione liked it. After spectacularly beating Dean in their mock-duel - pre-arranged in the boy's dorm, of course - Ron twirled his wand in his hand and watched Hermione flawlessly execute the Stunning Charm.

'You could have cast Stupefy non-verbally you know,' he said as suavely as possible.

'And why is that?' Hermione asked, arms crossed and resting her weight on one leg.

'Because you're a real stunner.'

He woke up on the ground two minutes later, Harry pulling him to his feet. Glancing over to Hermione, he could have sworn that she had smirked.

Ron nodded to himself, pleased. _I'm getting through to her._

* * *

In Charms, Ron made sure to sit next to Hermione again, and this time waited until midway through the class, when he was sure she couldn't switch partners.

'Nice _Silencio_ , Mione!' he praised when she rendered her Toucan speechless.

Hermione glanced over and blushed, looking away.

'Thanks,' she replied, sitting up a little straighter.

 _Yes_! Ron thought. _This time I'm getting somewhere._

He cleared his throat and messed up his hair, strategically leaning on one arm propped on the table.

'Of course, I always knew you were a Charmer,' he drawled.

He suddenly fell over, his arm no longer having a table to rest on. In its place was the silent Toucan. He looked up to see Hermione give a little self-satisfied grin.

'I'm not bad at Transfiguration, either.'


	2. Scorpius, the Flute and the Fairy

**Written for the Hogwarts summer funfair, so it's only fitting to dedicate this to Summer! (summersaults16)**

 **Pick & Mix: write a story about Scorpius Malfoy and Severus Snape.**

 **Petting Zoo: Write a story about two characters in which one turns into a fairy.**

 **Word count: 1,136**

* * *

Scorpius scuffed his feet as he walked up the winding staircase behind the gargoyles. Albus hadn't been sent to the Headmistress's office, but then again, Albus was a Potter. Scorpius was a Malfoy, and so the Head Boy had seen fit to dole both detentions on him and none for his friend.

After a shouting match and an unfortunate case of the Head Boy's robes catching fire - coincidentally, a spell taught to the first year Charms class just last week - things did not end well.

'I'm just going to go up there, shut my mouth like Dad says, and I'll be out in no time,' Scorpius said to himself, knocking on the door.

The door creaked open, but there was no sign of human life in the room beyond. Still, Scorpius's curiosity propelled him forwards into McGonagall's study all the same.

It was a circular room with several doors leading off into cabinets or alcoves, the walls lined with dozens of paintings all in various stages of sleep. When Scorpius went to examine one, the wizard shooed him away and buried his head in his cloak.

Politely moving away, he examined the silver instruments lying atop the spindly tables lining the left side of the room. He had just picked up what appeared to be a flute, only instead of holes, there were little tubes all leading down to a decanter. He shook it, and shining flecks of dust fell into the bottom. He shook it some more, but nothing else emerged.

'I would put that down if I were you,' a dry voice came from the wall behind him.

Scorpius jumped, almost dropping the strange flute in the process. A wizard with shoulder-length black hair, black eyes and a rather large nose was looking at him in disapproval. Scorpius was strangely reminded of his grandfather, though this man appeared to be younger and didn't look at all like him.

The man folded his arms and rolled his eyes at Scorpius's inspection.

'Have you nothing better to waste your time on, boy?' he asked.

'Your name is Severus?' Scorpius asked instead, the words bursting out from him as he read the inscription below the portrait.

'Not to little brats who have no manners,' Severus replied snidely. 'Though you do look familiar. Draco's son?'

'Sorry,' Scorpius apologised. His mother would have reprimanded him if she were here. 'It's just that one of my friends' names is Severus. I'm Scorpius Malfoy. You knew my father?' he asked, hoping for tales of his father's youth. He was very close-mouthed on the subject.

But the portrait didn't seem to be interested in recounting Draco-related anecdotes. Instead, the man groaned.

'Who was so unoriginal that they had to use their Head of House's name for their spawn? Please don't tell me that your friend is Severus Crabbe.'

'Actually, it was Harry Potter,' Scorpius said. 'My friend is called Albus Severus Potter.'

The man in the portrait went very quiet at that. Scorpius stepped closer and thought he saw a tear in the man's eye.

'Did you know him well, Harry Potter?' Scorpius asked curiously. This man looked to be the same age as the famous Harry Potter now. If he wasn't going to get a story about his father, at least he could tell Albus something he didn't know about his. 'Was he a friend of yours?'

There was a long pause before the portrait replied. 'No,' he said. 'He wasn't. He was a rather insolent brat during his time at school if you ask me. But perhaps Albus was right. Perhaps...'

'Perhaps?' Scorpius repeated, drawing closer.

'Look out!' the portrait suddenly cried, his arms spread out and his robes billowing around him like a bat.

Surprised, Scorpius stumbled back. He had been about to knock over some of the other instruments with the flute in his hand. They were saved, but unfortunately he lost his footing, tumbling backwards and causing the glittering dust to fall out through the holes in the flute onto his face.

Scorpius sneezed, wrinkling his nose. Oddly, the dust felt…warm. And shiny. He vaguely heard the portrait in the background shouting some stuff, but it didn't seem important yet.

The robes were getting too heavy, so he shrugged them off, spreading his wings with relish.

 _Wait, his wings?_

He twirled around. Sure enough, there were four wings attached to his back nearly as tall as he, transluscent and - if he said so himself - just _gorgeous_. He fluttered them experimentally and rose a few feet from the ground.

'When did the tables get so big?' he tried to ask, but all that came out were a few chirps and high pitched chatter.

For a brief moment, he panicked, but was then distracted by his clothes. He was sure he hadn't been wearing them a moment ago, but they were very handsome, woven from the finest spider silk and sparkling in the sun. He gave a twirl, and was happy at the way his skirt twirled around his knees.

Laughing, he flew up into the air and did a jaunty jig, tapping his delicate white shoes to an inaudible tempo.

The dark man in the portrait - Scorpius couldn't remember his name - was waving at him. Thinking that he was complimenting Scorpius on his dance, he flew down to hear more flattery.

'Now you've done it,' the man raged. 'You complete idiot. Just like your father, meddling in things that were over his head.'

 _Well, that wasn't very nice,_ Scorpius thought to himself.

He pouted to show his disappointment, giving a little shake of his wings to cover the portrait with fairy dust.

 _There_ , he thought. _Maybe_ _he'll be happier now he's pretty like me._

He flew to the table with the silver instruments, posing against one, then the other, wondering which object looked the best with himself as a decoration. If only he could decorate all of them! He flew around the room, seeing a slightly open door near the grouchy portrait. He flew in, tapping his feet together to make a little tinkling noise as he went.

In the cabinet, he found a most beautiful expanse of water, a silver pool of liquid taking centre stage in the small space. Immediately, Scorpius knew that it would compliment his own loveliness perfectly.

Settling down to preen himself at the water's edge, lighting up from time to time to see the reflection dance across the surface of the water, he heard the portrait complain to itself one more time.

'Merlin's beard. How am I going to explain to Draco Malfoy that his son has turned himself into a fairy?'

Scorpius gave a tinkling laugh. It seemed that he would have at least one visitor to admire his beauty in the near future.


	3. Rabastan Lestrange

**Written for the Hogwarts summer funfair, but this version oof Rabastan also exists in A Tale of Two Sides**

 **Sword Eater \- write a story about only one character**

 **Guess The Name \- Rabastan**

 **Word count: 516**

* * *

Rabastan Lestrange was not a bad sort of person. But neither was he a good one.

There were three things that were important to him: his family, his friends and himself. In that order.

One might be wondering whether Rabastan Lestrange was a Hufflepuff. One would be wrong.

For although Rabastan was loyal to his loved ones, and not an ambitious sort, he was both determined and resourceful - traits prized by the House of Slytherin.

It also helped that he was a pureblood.

Rabastan Lestrange was easily overlooked. His cheerful personality, mixed with his light green eyes and dark messy hair, had people thinking that he was too wrapped up in his latest joke to be of any import. He got along with people of all Houses, had made no enemies, and with a few notable exceptions was not scared of much. He had average marks in class, only receiving five O.W.L.s, was a good Beater, but not team captain, and tended to breeze through life without a care in he world.

At least that was what people said.

Rabastan Lestrange was currently humming to himself as he laid down Tripping Jinxes, Alarm Charms and human-sensitive netting all around his chosen area. He was in a nice little area of rural England, far from Scotland and his school, although he would have to be back in time for Divination in three hours.

He had heard from a little birdie that his enemies would be passing through here, and had been instructed to do what he did best: catch, maim and kill.

These three talents did not bother Rabastan; indeed he was rather proud of his abilities. If he was truly honest, he was a little hurt that nobody appreciated them as much as they ought to. Simply because something was deemed wrong in the eyes of society didn't mean that they couldn't require skill and precision. Sometimes, Rabastan would admire the simplistic grace of a trap well-laid.

Sometimes he thought that he was born in the wrong century, that he would have been appreciated in the Middle Ages, when one could be employed for the sort of thing he was good at. After all, not everyone could trap without hurting, kill without maiming, or maim without killing. It was an art form, and one that few people ever understood.

Standing up, Rabastan put a few finishing touches on the Muggle version of his traps and admired his work.

The secret was to interlay Muggle techniques with magical ones, even if others thought the Muggle ones inferior. There was no doubt in Rabastan's mind that this was true; however he knew that if anyone cast Revealing Charms on the area, the magical signature would be palpable.

Once the magical traps were disabled, then his prey would trample the area, safe in the knowledge that they had outwitted their opponent.

Little would they know.

Even if the day came when they tried to find the culprit, no one would come looking for Rabastan Lestrange, the sixth year Hogwarts student who always had a smile on his face.


	4. The Savage World

**Jukebox challenge prompt: "Colors of the Wind" - Pocahontas**

 **Word count: 1,004**

* * *

'Why would I want to do Muggle Studies?' Andromeda asked in disgust. 'It's not as if I'll ever need anything Muggle-made with magic around.'

'You know, you might be surprised if you gave technology a chance,' Ted said, raising his eyebrows at his girlfriend's remark.

Andromeda suddenly remembered Ted's background.

'I didn't mean to say that the Muggles don't have useful stuff,' she amended. 'Just that it's…well, primitive.'

'Tell you what,' Ted replied. He wasn't angry, one of the reasons Andromeda loved him. 'I'll take you to Muggle London for a day, and then you can tell me what you think.'

'What? No!' Andromeda cried. 'It's dangerous on the other side of London. My parents say they're...' she looked around and whispered. 'Savages.'

'You mean they're not like you,' Ted corrected her. 'Come on, Andy.'

* * *

Andromeda yelped as she hit the ticket barrier on the way to the tube. Ted laughed and slid the small piece of paper into the slot, activating the turnstile.

'There's so much here that you never knew you never knew,' he told her, taking her hand and leading her through the underground.

'That doesn't even make sense!' Andy huffed, but allowed herself to be led into the throngs of people.

London was so much more _alive_ on the other side of Diagon Alley. There were so many people, more than she would have thought possible, and they were all rushing around, using gadgets and fast-moving automobiles like she had seen the Ministry workers use.

'Make sure you don't touch anything,' Ted warned her. 'You don't know what's been here.'

Andy made sure to stand far away from all surfaces as they entered the underground train compartment. A strange noise sounded, and suddenly she was propelled backwards into a stranger.

'Oi! Watch it, lassie!' he yelled.

'Sorry,' Andromeda replied hurriedly, holding onto Ted for dear life as the train thing moved faster than she even thought possible, taking wild turns and stops until Ted told her it was time for them to get off.

'Are you alright?' he asked. 'I remember my first tube ride. It can take getting used to.'

'Just like Apparition,' Andromeda said decisively, ignoring her spinning vision. 'At least it smells better out here. Well, what now?'

'Now you're going to discover Muggle London,' Ted replied, taking her hand and spinning her. 'Have you ever had candy floss?'

'Candy what? Is that like dental floss, but made with sweets?' Andromeda asked, trying to figure out the meaning of the strange Muggle word.

'Not at all,' Ted laughed. 'Here.'

He walked up to a vendor on the street and paid him with Muggle money. Andromeda was surprised to see that the money was exclusively made from copper and silver, but that some were different sizes, despite being made from the same metal.

'What's that called?' she asked, motioning towards the coin the vendor was giving back.

'A shilling,' Ted replied. The vendor gave her a strange look, but Ted shrugged off the curious glance. 'She's foreign.'

Andromeda frowned, but she guessed that he was right. Muggle London _was_ a sort of foreign country.

'Here you go then, lass,' the vendor presented her with a ball of pink fluff on a stick. 'Enjoy your first glimpse of London!'

Andromeda looked at the ball of pink fluff. Then she looked at Ted. She looked back at the fluff.

'This is food?' she asked.

'Sure!' Ted replied, grabbing a clump of fluff and squishing it between his fingers before eating it, licking his fingers.

Tentatively, Andromeda pinched some fluff. It stuck together. It stuck to her fingers. She brought it to her tongue to taste and was surprised to find that it melted on contact.

'It's…sugar?' she asked, eating some more. 'Just…sugar?'

'Yup!' Ted grinned happily, grabbing some more. 'It gets everywhere though.'

They strolled through Camden market, Ted making her try most of the foods. She had already visited a couple of different countries, so wasn't surprised at the tikka masala or any of the other Indian dishes, but there were some odd things that caught her attention, such as "hot dogs". She asked whether it was dog meat, and Ted had looked horrified. That time, it was Andy's turn to laugh.

'What's that?' she gasped, refraining from pointing, since it was rude.

Ted followed her gaze, a huge smile spreading across his face.

'Of course! How could I have forgotten about the London Eye?' he cried, slapping a hand comically to his head. 'Come on!'

'I don't know,' Andy replied doubtfully.

It was a large circular contraption with cabins hanging from each axis. As they drew closer, Andy saw to her horror that people were in the cabins, laughing and taking photos.

'Come on!' Ted urged, his eyes twinkling. 'Have you ever flown without a broomstick? Have you ever seen a city from above? For once, don't think, just do.'

Something reckless stirred within Andromeda and she suddenly found herself agreeing.

'Wow!' Andy said, a nervous giggle escaping from her throat. 'It's beautiful.'

She was standing in the surprisingly steady cabin, moving upwards courtesy of some unknown contraption, and yet…there was something strangely fascinating about the entire experience.

For once, she was in the air without having to concentrate on what she was doing, able to enjoy the view, but also walk around. It was a strange sensation, but an exhilarating one.

* * *

'Are you ready for our last stop?' Ted asked, looking seriously into Andy's eyes.

She squirmed away from his gaze, not knowing whether he was joking or not. She had been proven over and over again during the day just how ignorant of the Muggle world she had been. Life in this world was bursting at the seams, begging to be let out, compared to the drabness of the wizarding system.

'I'm ready to expect anything and everything by now,' she replied dryly, not letting her inner shock show on her face. It was the Black family way.

'Don't worry,' Ted assured her. 'You're going to love this.'

He led her to a building with flashing neon lights. Muggles were queuing up at a ticket stand not unlike the one in front of the London Eye, something she had ridden on three times that day.

'Two tickets to see "A Space Odyssey", please,' he asked.

The man in the ticket booth slid them two sticks of strange parchment, then waved them away, looking as though he would rather be anywhere but here. Andromeda took her ticket from Ted, bending the strangely thick and rigid parchment. The ink had been stamped on to the ticket in the same way as all of the Black official documents, which reassured her.

It seemed that at least a few things didn't change.

'What is this place?' she asked for the umpteenth time that day.

'The cinema,' Ted explained, getting them something called popcorn.

Andromeda took an experimental bite. It was sugary and salty all at once, everything her mother had said was bad for her health. She took another one.

'You know how wizarding pictures move around?' Ted gestured to the immobile paintings on one of the walls. 'Well, a film is like that, only it lasts for a couple of hours and tells a story. You can't interact with it either, you just have to watch. It's like reading a book, only you're watching the story instead of imagining it.'

Andromeda was amazed at the magic primitive Muggle technology was able to produce. As they entered the viewing room, she settled back into her comfortable seat and snuggled into Ted's arms to watch the film.

 _I can't believe everything I've seen today,_ she thought, watching how Muggles planned to expand across the galaxy in the future. _Why would anyone ever want to leave this world?_

* * *

'Thanks, Ted,' Andromeda said at the end of the evening. They were standing at the Floo in the Leaky Cauldron, saying their last goodbyes before she went back to the Black country home. 'I never knew that a whole world was hiding just outside the Leaky Cauldron's brick walls.'

'Your parents think that the only people that are people, are the ones who can do magic like you and me,' Ted said, his voice losing its earlier mirth. 'But now you've seen that the Muggles can teach you things too, that they have a life, a spirit, a soul. The prejudice will never end if we don't learn that.'

'I will, Ted,' Andromeda promised. 'I'm sorry I ever doubted you.'


	5. Salazar's Curse, Rowena's Bane

**Written for the Hogwarts Summer Funfair.**

 **Sword Eater: Write a story without any compound sentences. *Wipes sweat off brow***

 **Puppet Show:** **It is said that Salazar left the school one day. Write an AU where one of the founders goes after him and brings him back to the school**

 **Word count: 542**

* * *

'Salazar.'

Rowena was standing at the edge of the cliff. Her hair billowed out behind her. The words were simply stated: no anger, no hurt, no emotion. Rowena had always been Salazar's favourite.

'Rowena,' he greeted. He dipped his head. 'What brings you so far from home?'

'Don't pretend that you don't know,' Rowena replied. 'I've come for you. Leave your work. Return to Hogwarts. It's where you belong.'

'And what if I think otherwise?' Salazar asked lightly. 'I have much work to be done,' he gestured to his trinkets. 'I'm very busy. You may as well leave. You come here in vain.'

'And will nothing sway your opinion?' Rowena asked. She sat down by her former friend. 'What are you working on? Is it more important than the education of generations to come?'

Salazar sighed. Rowena would continue to pester him for the rest of the day, maybe the rest of the month. He tried to think of a good riddle. Only an unsolved problem would rid him of Rowena Ravenclaw. The remaining founders chose their envoy well.

'I will give you a conundrum,' he said after a while. 'There are two possible outcomes. You solve the conundrum. I come back. You do not solve the conundrum. You leave me in peace. Does this sound fair to you?'

Rowena studied him closely. _Is this a trick?_ she asked herself. But she saw only honesty in Salazar's eyes. She closed her eyes for a split second. Then she nodded.

'Your terms are acceptable,' she acquiesced. 'Very well. What is this problem?'

Salazar showed her a small box. It was of Egyptian origin, made of gold. A scarab beetle was inscribed on the top. Rowena turned it around. She thought it dated from the time of Ramses II. She couldn't be sure, though. She noticed a button and pressed it. Nothing happened.

'You see now,' Salazar interrupted her thoughts. 'It cannot be opened. Some sort of curse has been placed on it. I've been trying to solve it for weeks. The curse is…particularly potent.'

'We might be here for a while, then,' Rowena noted.

Salazar thought she might give up then and there. But she didn't. Instead, she sat down on one of the many rocks around them.

* * *

The sun set over a cloudless sky. Salazar enjoyed the view for once. He didn't spend enough time appreciating the world around him. A small noise sounded from his left. He jumped.

 _Could it be…_ he wondered.

He rushed over to Rowena just in time. She toppled from her perch in a dead faint. The small golden box fell from her hands like lead. Salazar had to choose. Luckily, he was a wizard.

He cast a nonverbal _Accio_ on the box. Then, he grabbed Rowena mid-air. He didn't care if it was ungentlemanly. She had solved the riddle. But she hadn't solved the curse. He checked her pulse. It was weak. Very weak. But it was still beating. For that, Salazar was grateful.

'You win this time, Rowena,' he said.

He carefully secured the treasure in his robe pockets for a later date. In the meantime, he needed to get back to Hogwarts. Rowena was dying. Helena Hufflepuff was the best chance she had.


	6. A Tainted Love

**Excuse me for the completely unoriginal title. Written for the Hogwarts Funfair.**

 **Jukebox: 80's: Tainted Love (Soft Cell)**

 **Word count: 534**

* * *

 _I've got to get away_ , Albus thought for the umpteenth time that day.

His Hogwarts trunk was not yet unpacked and the house already felt stifling. He glanced at his desk: awards and trophies lined the top, the rest littered with letters to and from Gellert.

He loved his family, he loved Ariana, but sometimes he felt as though he should just run away, leave the dysfunction behind him. Why should he be punished for his family's madness?

Sighing, he climbed back into bed to read Gellert's latest letter, letting his friend's owl fly back to his master. Even though he could see Gellert's bedroom window from his own, sometimes ideas couldn't wait. "That's the price of genius", as Gellert always said.

Albus could tell that Gellert was getting impatient. He wanted to travel the world, share their ideas, do something - anything! He wouldn't wait for Albus much longer. His newest letter said as much.

He sighed again, not having the energy to reply once more. He loved his family, that was true, but he would leave in a heartbeat if the opportunity presented itself. He extinguished his wand and tried to settle down to sleep.

* * *

Six hours of tossing and turning later, Albus walked down the stairs to the basement. It was time to bring Ariana her breakfast. Aberforth hated it when Albus said that. He thought Albus treated their sister no better than he treated Aberforth's goats.

Aberforth had always been closest to their younger sister, Albus mused, pouring the porridge into a bowl and sprinkling it with some oh-so-rare sugar. In actual fact, he had duplicated the grains as soon as their family had managed to get their hands on some. Sugar didn't really go off, or at least it hadn't yet.

And Ariana loved it so.

Aberforth was wrong. Albus loved their sister, so much that it seemed to drive a stake into his heart every time he saw her, saw how twisted her magic had become and how it tainted their whole family.

He loved Adriana, but it was a tainted love, and he wasn't sure how long he could keep giving.

It was alright for Aberforth. He was…slow, to put it bluntly. If Albus could, he would leave Ariana in the care of his sweet, sweet brother. He could make things right in a way that Albus never could, never hesitating to hold the little girl tightly whenever her magic acted up.

Albus could never bring himself to. He couldn't stand to touch Ariana knowing what had been done to her, something that could be happening anywhere, anytime, even now.

Albus's problem was that he was an intellectual, first and foremost. Aberforth might pray for a miracle, but Albus preferred practical solutions. He had given their family all the love he could give them and it still wasn't enough. So he would leave Aberforth with his high and mighty ideals of love and go to educate the Muggle population with Gellert.

Albus started, realising that he had made his choice.

He could stand being with his family and their tainted love no longer. He had to pack his letters and go.

For all of their sakes.


	7. A Slimy Situation

**Written for the 3rd Daily Prophet Challenge: if you could change a scene in HP, what would it be?**

 **Scene: Ron casts a curse on Malfoy which backfires, causing him to eat slugs.**

 **Word count: 505**

* * *

'No one asked for your opinion,' Draco Malfoy sneered. 'Filthy little Mudblood.'

The Gryffindors were shocked. Fred and George looked stunned, whereas Alicia and Katie had to hold back Angelina from punching the smug little twerp in the face. Harry and Hermione merely looked at each other, nonplussed. _What is a Mudblood?_ In contrast, the Slytherins were all wearing various smug expressions, as though Malfoy had just completed some extraordinary feat.

Ron was the first to react properly, drawing his spello-taped wand.

'You'll pay for that one, Malfoy!' he yelled furiously. 'Eat slugs!'

By some miracle, Ron's charm actually worked, despite the dubious nature of his wand. Malfoy doubled over, a grimace forming upon his features. His face turned purple and his mouth bulged. He nearly choked as he tried to keep the slugs in, to no avail. A large purple slug erupted from his mouth straight onto Montague's newest broomstick.

It slowly inched up the wood, leaving a glistening and sticky trail behind. Montague threw the broom to the floor in disgust and quickly wiped his hands on his robes, despite the fact that he hadn't even come close to touching the slug, which was happily waving its antennae.

By this time, Malfoy had fallen to the floor, one arm raised in a hopeless gesture. He looked at Adrian Pucey pleadingly, but whatever he was going to say was lost as another slug came up, this time green in colour. Adrian high-tailed it off the Quidditch pitch, making sure to gather up his own broom before it became infested.

Harry almost felt sorry for him. Almost.

'Nice one, Ron,' Fred grinned, ruffling his little brother's hair. 'You even managed to get the House colours.'

Ron's face broke into a huge grin as Fred and George raised him onto their shoulders. The Gryffindor team broke into cheers, chanting "Ron, Ron, Ron." Colin Creevey was busy taking picture after picture of the event, and Harry was sure that they would be all over the Gryffindor Common Room that night. It would be a relief to finally joke and laugh with everyone about somebody else for once. In fact, Harry was looking forward to it.

An unspoken agreement passed between himself and Hermione to ask Ron about the word "Mudblood" later on that evening. After all, they didn't want to ruin this rare moment of glory for him. Without a word, Hermione made her way to the stands, though Harry was sure he could see a grin tugging at her lips.

The Slytherin team fled in disgust, leaving the trail of slugs behind. Poor Malfoy was still on the floor convulsing, and Harry could have sworn that the slugs were coming faster and faster and with more and more mucus by the minute. He would really have to ask Ron about this nifty little spell.

Meanwhile, Oliver and Alicia dragged Draco Malfoy to the side of the Quidditch pitch, where he could vomit in peace. After all, the Gryffindors didn't want to be distracted from their practice.


	8. Drunk on Moonlight

**A follow up to chapter 4 with Ted and Andromeda. Written for the Out of This World Challenge - The Moon.**

 **Prompts used: (** **Song) Man on the Moon (REM); (** **Word) Moonlight; (** **Dialogue) "Never ignore a coincidence. Unless you're busy. In which case, always ignore a coincidence."**

 **Word Count: 873**

* * *

'This isn't a game of life,' Andromeda said grumpily, crossing her arms as she watched her money pile dwindle into nothing. 'There's no magic, for starters. And there's no way you just retire at age fifty. That's ridiculous. Actually, the only accurate thing here is getting married as soon as you hit eighteen. If you listened to my mother, that's the only accomplishment worth achieving.'

Ted grinned, putting the game away before Andromeda could do any damage to it. He was glad he had taken her to see his parents' house whilst they were out. He knew his parents wouldn't include Andy if she didn't know at least a few traditional games.

'It's a _Muggle_ game of life,' he replied, flicking Andy on the forehead. 'There's no magic involved. Come on, you've only just begun your education.'

'But we've already played Monopoly, twenty-one, checkers and chess,' Andy complained, stretching her legs. 'How many more games must I suffer through?'

'You'll understand once you meet my family,' Ted replied. 'They love all types of games. Board games, card games, party games, you name it. Come on, you'll like this one better. It's called Twister...'

* * *

'Tell me why, oh why, oh why won't that sun appear,' Andromeda crooned, swaying from side to side, her fingers tapping the beat on the microphone.

Eight shots of Firewhiskey after their game of risk, Andromeda was finally letting go. Edward was ecstatic. He knew she rarely let her hair down, but she seemed to really enjoy the Muggle karaoke machine. He had half a mind to fetch his camera, but somehow capturing the moment felt like it would ruin it.

 _I'm glad I introduced her to the Muggle world,_ he thought. _She has more fun here than anywhere I've seen her before._

'We're lost in a cloud,' Andy twirled, her skirt flaring out around her, 'with too much rain!'

Ted couldn't help it. The sight of Andy goofing on Elvis was almost too much to take. He howled with laughter, effectively ruining the song for good. Andy glared at him and switched off the television.

Ted had a twinge of regret. She was learning about his world so quickly, and he suddenly realised that he was enjoying having her depend on her. What if the novelty wore off? What if Andy gave up on him when she had learnt all there was to learn?

His raven-haired girlfriend collapsed on the sofa with a giggle, and snuggled up to him, pushing her head into the crook of his neck. With a sigh of reassurance, Ted clasped his arm around hers tightly.

* * *

'So Moses just, poof,' Andy gesticulated upwards wildly as they walked around the duck pond in St James's park, 'went walking with his staff and the waters parted for him?'

'That's the general gist of it, yeah,' Ted replied, grasping one of her arms to stop her from falling in.

'Wow. He must have been some wizard.'

'He was God's prophet,' Ted explained. 'So technically, it was God who moved the seas, not Moses.'

Andromeda swivelled her head left and right, dramatically looking from side to side. There was no one around. It was a Wednesday night in the middle of June, why would they be?

Clearing her throat, she rolled up her sleeves, took out her wand and tried to levitate the water.

At least, that's what Ted thought she was doing. Several large bubbles of water rose into the air before crashing back down into the middle of the pond with a large splash. Geese flew out of spattering range, honking their discomfort. Water rolled over either side in waves, waking the ducks that had been nesting for the night.

Andromeda lay down on the ground spread eagle, her face pulled into a pout of dismay. 'I thought if I used enough force, then it would create a gap in the middle. I suppose that I'm no God, then.'

'It's alright Andy,' Ted reassured her, laying his head next to hers. 'You're a galaxy. That's much more romantic.'

'I suppose it is,' Andromeda replied, looking dreamily at the sky. 'Do you believe in coincidence?'

Ted turned to look at her. Her dark brown hair was shining in the moonlight, her eyes reflecting the stars after which she was named. He had no idea what she was thinking about half of the time, and that was what drew him to her. He fingered the ring in his pocket. Tonight would have been a perfect night to propose, coincidentally. But he didn't want Andy's memory of his proposal tarnished by her inevitable hangover the next day.

'I never ignore a coincidence. Unless I'm busy,' he added as an afterthought, 'in which case I always ignore a coincidence.'

'There's a cloud shaped like a man with a stick up there,' Andromeda pointed, ignoring the humour in his response. 'What do you think that means?'

Ted glanced up. So there was. Ordinarily, he would have joked about Astrology and fate, but this time, he let fate slide. Instead, he propped himself on his elbows and turned back to the girl lying next to him.

'That particular coincidence will have to wait. I'm rather busy kissing my girlfriend right now.'


	9. The Afterlife of a Rat

**Written for Jenny the Rogue as part of the Friendship Weekend. Prompt: "Why? Do you think I care so little for you that betraying me would make a difference?"**

 **Writing Club - Book Club.**

 **Character: Gideon. Prompts: (genre) friendship, (character) James Potter, (word) brave.**

* * *

Peter arrived at Hogsmeade Station in a tumble, still gasping for air. He wrenched his hand away from his throat, only to discover that it was made once again of flesh and blood.

He looked at it in wonder, his mouth slacking open a little. He had never thought… what magic could this be?

Suddenly, he realised that he was no longer in the Malfoys' cellar, but in a white expanse that he somehow recognised from his youth, though he remembered it being a lot dirtier.

A figure approached, and Peter gasped when he realised it was none other than James Potter, his closest friend, the friend that he had betrayed and regretted every day of his existence since. He tried to transform back into a rat, to hide somewhere, anywhere from the expression of anguish he had dreamed of since. Had nightmares of since.

But to his surprise, his body would not transform, and so he resigned himself to facing James head on, summoning the very last of his courage with all of his might.

'J-James,' he squeaked.

Admittedly, courage was not something he had an excess of.

'Peter,' James said, his voice rumbling, his hazel eyes rising to meet Peter's own.

But Peter found no anger in his friend's features, no hatred, no sadness. Instead Peter saw peace and compassion. Suddenly, Peter felt very small, as if he were a child facing a very old and wise scholar. His guilt bubbled to the surface, bursting from his lips.

'Why aren't you angry?' he demanded. 'Shout at me, hit me, kill me. You know I deserve it.' He started sobbing. 'I deserve it tenfold.'

James remained silent, the benevolent smile etched onto his face.

'By all rights you should hate me, James! Why do you do nothing?'

'Why?' James asked finally, toying with Peter's question. 'Do you think I care for you so little that betraying me would make a difference? You were my friend, my brother, Peter. And ties that bind do not fray so easily.'

'But I killed you,' Peter knelt to the floor, wiping his nose messily on his sleeve. He didn't notice the mucus disappearing from his robes as soon as they left his face. 'You should make me pay. Sirius too. And Remus. You were my dearest friends and I betrayed you only to live a pitiful half life.'

'That is all true, Peter,' James knelt down by the small man, his youthful face earnest as he helped his former friend to his feet. 'But you made up for it in the end. You were never a brave man, but today you saved my son. I have made my peace with past mistakes. Harry is everything to me, to the wizarding world in general. You did a good deed today and were rewarded with death.'

'Death?' Peter asked timidly. 'But I'm not…' His mouth formed into a small "o" as he realised the implications of speaking to his friend. 'I suppose I am, then.'

'Come on, Peter,' James said, guiding him towards a door that had suddenly opened. 'Sirius wants to see you.'


	10. The Dying Thoughts of Lavender Brown

**Hogwarts musical chairs: No dialogue.**

 **Hogwarts Treasure Hunt: Lavender Brown.**

 **Hogwarts Jenga prompt: "It's hard to imagine that someone so beautiful could ever be so lonely"**

 **Gobstones Event - Green Stone: mourning**

 **Extra Prompts; Mutiny, Luna Lovegood, sugar quills.**

* * *

I was lying on the floor when you found me, the sounds of the continuing battle surrounding us. You were the only one to stop, to notice, when everyone else simply went on, trying to live as best as they could. How could I begrudge them fighting for breath, as I was spending my last mourning my life?

For I knew even then that I was going to die.

I was always a selfish girl. Silly, really. I cared too much about trivialities, and didn't care enough about what mattered most. I thought I had fallen in love last year. It was nothing compared to the real thing.

So as I lay there, my body burning from the gouges Fenrir Greyback had inflicted, wondering whether werewolves belonged in the afterlife, I thought of you.

I thought of your blond locks shining as they caught the sun, beautiful in an otherworldly way. I mentioned that you looked like an angel to Parvati. She laughed and said that the gods had a strange sense of humour if so.

I thought of the kind words you had for each person who crossed your path, despite the teasing and torment the world had inflicted upon you. Tell me, how does one become someone so _good_ , so _pure_? I suppose that I will never know.

I thought of the first time we spoke, during our secret mutiny against Umbridge and the creation of the DADA. Back then, I had thought you were popular within Ravenclaw. After all, it's hard to imagine that someone so beautiful could ever be so lonely.

But it was this year, my seventh year, the year where all that could go wrong did, that I truly got to know you. We shared Sugar Quills as we hid from the Carrows, wreaking havoc where we could. When I kissed you, your lips tasted sweet from the leftover sugar.

I had been worried that Parvati would hate me for liking a girl. It turns out that there were much bigger things to worry about. Like how to tell you I loved you for the first time, or where to take you for our first date, because you were so unlike anyone I had ever met.

And now, as I lay on the ground, worrying that I would never see your face again, you appeared. For the first time I saw your tears, and that was when I knew that you knew the truth.

For all your sweet tooth, you were never one to sugar coat things.

And as I lay there dying in your arms, I knew that one person would remember me amongst the dead as she mourned.

Luna Lovegood would remember Lavender Brown, not as the selfish little girl who believed in divining tea leaves, not as the silly girl who worried about the frizz in her hair, but as the woman who had defied the Death Eaters to her dying breath, as the strong warrior guided by her guardian angel - you.


	11. It Starts With a Shirt

**For Shay, who catches the Snitch every time.**

 **Writing club -** **Blow Us All Away: (era) Next Gen**

* * *

'Merlin, Albus,' Scorpius said, putting his book down to better stare at his roommate. 'You can't possibly go out like _that_.'

'Why?' Albus asked in a hurt tone. He looked back at himself in the mirror. 'I don't look that bad… Do I?'

Scorpius merely looked at Albus, pity evident in his eyes. His gaze slowly travelled down the length of Albus's body. Albus blushed, feeling somehow as though he was naked, though he was clearly fully dressed. He fought to stop covering himself with his hands, more fearful of Scorpius's biting wit.

 _I shouldn't have let him meet Lily,_ he thought. _She's turned him into a monster._

For the first two years of their schooling, Scorpius had been the sweetest boy one could possibly encounter. Then Albus had made the mistake of inviting him home and introducing him to his sister. Lily's biting sarcasm had encouraged Scorpius to reveal his own sassy thoughts, thoughts that Albus was usually the victim of.

But this was the first time Scorpius had attacked his clothes.

'I realise that I've never really seen you in Muggle clothing before,' Scorpius said, swinging his legs over his green duvet and gracefully sliding off of his bed. 'First things first. You cancel your date.'

'It's not a date,' Albus mumbled sheepishly. 'It's only because her friends are all ill this weekend and she didn't want to go alone.'

Scorpius raised a blond eyebrow. Penelope Brown had been bragging all week about how she had won a date with the elusive Albus Potter. He opened his mouth to make another snide comment, but one look at his friend's wide green eyes made Scorpius believe that Albus really had no clue that he was supposed to be on a date. And that meant that his friend was more innocent than he thought.

'Well,' Scorpius said instead, a smile tugging at his lip. 'You won't mind cancelling it then.'

'But I gave Penelope my word!' Albus protested.

'Tell her it's an emergency,' Scorpius replied, fetching his green and silver scarf, wrapping it around his neck in one smooth motion.

'But there is no emergency, Scorp,' Albus reminded him, frowning.

Scorpius took another look at Albus's clothes.

'Oh, but there is.'

* * *

'What's wrong with my clothes, anyway?' Albus asked grumpily as they trudged along the path to Hogsmeade.

Scorpius glanced at his friend. How had he not seen it before? Then he remembered. They had only been to Hogwarts once before, spending hours upon hours exploring, but they had both had detention in the morning, and so had gone in their school robes. When Scorpius had come to visit, everyone had been wearing wizarding robes to put Draco and Astoria at ease. Now, Albus wore a very baggy brown jumper and green trousers that did not suit him in the least.

'Everything,' Scorpius replied.

When they got to Hogsmeade, Scorpius immediately pulled Albus into Gladrags Wizardwear, a shop that used to specialise in costumes, but had now branched into Muggle clothing.

'No, no, no,' Albus said when he saw where they were going. 'This is my day off. I don't want to spend it shopping for clothes. Come on, Scorp', don't do this to me.'

'This is for your own good,' Scorpius replied determinedly, taking Albus's arm and steering him into the shop.

Albus let him, albeit reluctantly. Still, he didn't put up _too_ much of a fuss. A day spent shopping with Scorpius would beat going to Honeydukes with Penelope Brown. That girl could talk both your ears off and then keep talking.

'Honestly, Albus, your dad was practically raised a Muggle.' Scorpius disappeared into the clothing rack. 'How did he not teach you how to dress yourself?'

'Um...' Albus replied uncertainly, tilting his head to the side to keep Scorpius in view. 'I thought he did?'

'Not properly, apparently,' Scorpius replied. 'Even my father dresses better than you.'

Albus guessed that that was Scorpius's version of an insult. He did his best to look appropriately chastised, but in reality he was bemused. Who cared how he dressed? He was warm, his clothes were clean. Wasn't that enough?

Scorpius dumped a pile of shirts into Albus's arms.

Apparently not.

'Try those on,' Scorpius said, pushing him towards a cabin.

As Albus pulled the curtain closed, he heard a mumbling. He stuck his head back through the gap. 'What did you say?'

'I said they'll go well with your eyes!' Scorpius replied angrily, his face flushing pink.

'All right, all right. Sheesh.'

Albus raised his eyebrows and withdrew his head, not wanting to provoke his friend further. He didn't even know what he had done wrong.

* * *

Half an hour later, Albus was trying on the last of Scorpius's recommendations: some dark blue jeans, a white T-shirt and a checked shirt that was mostly dark green. The T-shirt was tight compared to what Albus was used to - mostly because he wore James's old shirts and James was taller than him - but he found that he liked it.

However, he hated the shirt. It buttoned up right to his neck, digging into the hollow of his throat uncomfortably. Plus, it restricted his movement, stopping his arms from moving the whole way.

'Not sure about the shirt,' he called out.

Scorpius had been leaning against a rail of clothing, but he shot to his feet when Albus pulled the curtain back. He fought to bite back a laugh, not wanting to hurt Albus's feelings. But in the end, he couldn't help it, and an ungainly snort burst forth.

'Oh, Albus,' he said, rolling his eyes good naturedly. 'You weren't supposed to button it up!'

'I wasn't?' Albus asked, puzzled. He looked down. 'But isn't that what buttons are for?'

Scorpius felt a fond smile touch his lips. He couldn't help it. Albus was just so helpless and his bewildered expressions were just so cute and un-Slytherin-like that he couldn't help but love him in that moment.

Wait, _what_?

'Look,' Scorpius said to distract himself, shaking his head. 'You're supposed to wear it over the T-shirt, with just the sleeves. Buttoned up is too formal for you. Casual would suit you better.'

'All right,' Albus replied dubiously, following Scorpius's instructions. 'Do you mind helping me out with this one?' He motioned to the topmost button. 'It's really stiff and I can't see what I'm doing.'

'Of course,' Scorpius replied, but his breath hitched in his throat the minute his fingers brushed against Albus's skin.

 _Get a grip_ , Scorp', he told himself firmly. Still, when he felt the soft touch of Albus's breath against his wrist, he couldn't help but notice how shallow his own breathing became. He fumbled with the button for a second before he finally managed to get it undone.

'There,' he said with a sigh of relief and disappointment, stepping back to survey his work. 'Much better.'

Albus had to agree. He felt like he could breathe again, though for some reason his skin burned where Scorpius had touched it.

'Well,' Scorpius said, something in his eyes distancing itself. 'We should try this out.'

Albus didn't know what that meant, but as he paid for his new clothes, he shivered. It sounded ominous.

* * *

'Scorpius,' Albus said tiredly, unable to keep up any longer.

'Yes?' Scorpius replied sweetly, about to walk into the Three Broomsticks.

'Can we please stop?'

Albus's defeated tone made Scorpius stop in his tracks. He had been going around, mentioning that Albus had new clothes, to all of the third and fourth years in sight, dropping subtle hints about Albus's celibacy to encourage the compliments. His friend needed the confidence boost, and he would dismiss anything positive Scorpius had to say as being "because you're my friend".

Albus complained so much of being in his brother and father's shadows that Scorpius had thought it would do him some good to get some attention on his own merit.

He hadn't thought that Albus wouldn't enjoy it.

Albus must have noticed his deflated look, because he instantly rallied, standing straighter, ruffling his thick black hair.

'Look, Scorp', I realise what you're trying to do, and thank you, really. But...' Albus trailed off, before gathering the courage to say what he really thought. 'Look, let's go and find some owl treats, they're the last thing on our list. But this time, let's go just the two of us, yeah?'

'Just the two of us?' Scorpius's voice rose an octave and he hated himself for it.

'I just don't really want to spend time with anyone else anymore today. Is that all right with you?'

Scorpius beamed, feeling a fire blossom within his chest and flowing out to the rest of his body.

'Yeah,' he replied, giving Albus a genuine smile. 'It really is.'


End file.
